Fallingstar's Curse
by Freerangeemu
Summary: When Fallingkit is born weak and sick, there are whispers of terrible things to come in Meadow Clan. The coming storm, however, is far beyond anything the Clans could imagine.
1. Allegiances

**Meadow Clan**

 **Leader:** Birchstar- light grey tom

 **Deputy:** Morningfern – grey tabby she-cat

 **Medicine Cat:** Milknose – pure white she-cat with pinkish eyes

 **Warriors:**

Rivershine-light grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Stumpytooth-dark brown tom

 _Apprentice: Sharppaw_

Lilyfur-light grey she-cat

Earthflight-brown she-cat with green eyes

Redstripe- ginger tom with darker stripes

Emberlight- dark ginger she-cat

 _Apprentice: Willowpaw_

Hawkwing-tabby tom with a white smudge on his nose

 _Apprentice: Yarrowpaw_

Grasspelt-brown tom with yellow eyes

Prickletail-dark brown she-cat

Leafnose- huge tortoiseshell tom with yellow eyes

 _Apprentice: Tumblepaw_

Wildflight-grey tabby tom

 **Queens:**

Ferntooth- ginger queen with amber eyes, mother to Summerkit, Fallingkit, and Songkit

Shadepath- pretty dark tabby queen, expecting Wildflight's kits

 **Apprentices:**

Sharppaw- black she-cat with yellow eyes

Willowpaw- tortoiseshell tom

Tumblepaw- calico tom with blue eyes

Yarrowpaw- black she-cat with a white chest and paws

 **Elders:**

Mouseclaw: dark gray tom

 **Stone Clan**

 **Leader:** Aspenstar- grey tabby queen

 **Deputy:** Greystep- grey tabby tom, brother of Aspenstar

 **Medicine Cat:** Quailflight – light brown tabby tom

 _Apprentice: Roseblossom- tiny brown she-cat with yellow eyes_

 **Warriors:**

Sandclaw- ginger tom with yellow eyes

 _Apprentice: Greenpaw_

Vipertail- skinny brown tom

Elmshade- dark grey she-cat with green eyes

Weaselfoot- light brown she-cat with darker paws and tail tip

 _Apprentice: Scurrypaw_

Honeywhisker- light ginger, almost golden she-cat

Tawnylight- grey tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Risingmoon- very light grey, almost white tom

Cloudwhisker-dark grey tom with a white muzzle

Snowcloud- white she-cat with amber eyes

Brambletalon-dark tabby tom with green eyes

 _Apprentice: Woolpaw_

Cliffsong- black tom

 **Queens:**

Nightflower- black she-cat, mother of Dapplekit, Coltkit, and Ivykit

Dustypelt – light brown she-cat, mother of Darkkit and Pinekit

Snowblossom- white she cat with blue eyes, mother to Duckkit and Owlkit

 **Apprentices:**

Scurrypaw-tabby tom

Woolpaw-white tom with blue eyes

Greenpaw-brown she cat with bright green eyes

 **Sun Clan**

 **Leader:** Rainstar- grey speckled tom

 _Apprentice: Longpaw_

 **Deputy:** Duskpelt: dark tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 _Apprentice: Echopaw_

 **Medicine Cat:** Rabbitleap- light brown tom with amber eyes

 **Warriors:**

Jayfoot-grey tabby tom

Brightflower-white she-cat with blue eyes

Badgerfang-white and black tom

 _Apprentice: Stormpaw_

Lizardclaw-brown she-cat with yellow eyes

Applefern-dark grey she-cat with spots

Whitesky-white tom

Murkystream-dark tabby she-cat

Gladeshine-ginger she-cat wih amber eyes

Icewind-white tom with yellow eyes

 _Apprentice: Flypaw_

Foxear-dark ginger tom

Strawfur-light ginger tom

 **Queen:**

Briarfall- dark brown she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Blossomkit and Kestrelkit

 **Apprentices:**

Echopaw- white tom with orange spots and blue eyes

Flypaw- grey tom with yellow eyes

Longpaw- white tom with green eyes

Stormpaw-grey she-cat with blue eyes

 **Elders:**

Sharpwing- brown she-cat

Fishstrike- grey she-cat

 **Forest Clan**

 **Leader:** Pantherstar- jet black tom with yellow eyes

 **Deputy:** Mothtail – brown tabby tom

 **Medicine Cat:** Maplefall- ginger tom with blue eyes

 **Warriors:**

Dawnbreeze- light grey tabby she-cat

Wormtail- slightly chubby pale tom with a thin tail

Rosewhisker- ginger she-cat

Blackstripe- light brown tom with a thin black stripe running along his back

 _Apprentice: Blazepaw_

Flowershadow- dark tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Creeksplash- black and white she-cat

Swiftstrike-grey tom with yellow eyes

Mossstem- grey she cat with yellow eyes

Mudflight- brown tom

 _Apprentice: Beetlepaw_

Juniperberry- grey she-cat

Yellowblossom- light ginger she-cat with white feet

Furrowtail- grey taby tom

Queens:

Ravenflight- black she-cat with green eyes, mother of Greykit and Woodkit

 **Apprentices:**

Beetlepaw- black tom

Blazepaw-ginger tom with green eyes

 **Elders:**

Poppyspots – tortoiseshell she-cat

Hazellight- light brown she-cat

Featherleaf – grey tom


	2. Prolouge

**Prologue**

The night was quiet. The only sound in the forest was the soft rustle of leaves in the wind and the faint movements of small creatures that scurried around in the grass. A full moon hung in the sky above the trees like a great, pale eye, watching everything that lived in the world below.

At the edge of the forest was a meadow, stretching up from the bank of a river that wound its way down from the mountains. The moon's gaze turned the meadow silver as it looked down on the things that breathed within it.

A yowl of pain spilt the quiet. A she-cat was giving birth; a ginger queen, ears flat and eyes wide with fear and exhaustion. An old, white she-cat crouched beside her, paw resting gently on the queen's stomach as her body shuddered, trying to push the tiny lives inside of her out into the world.

"You're doing fine, Ferntooth," the white she-cat mewed gently, and then "Here comes the first kit."

A wet, grey bundle slithered out onto the nest, the white she-cat reached down with her muzzle, nipping the sac open easily, and pushed the first kit towards its mother.

"A she-cat," she mewed, "here comes the next one."

Another she-cat slid into the world, this time ginger, like her mother. as the white she-cat pushed the second kit towards her mother the queen's body convulsed one more time.

"This is the last one, I think," the white she-cat mewed, running her tail soothingly along the queen's flank. The queen's amber eyes were blown wide in pain, her claws had shredded the edge of her nest; it was obvious that she was at her limit. "You'll be fine," the white she-cat murmured. And with a final push the last kit was born.

Immediately, the white she-cat knew something was wrong. The kit was tiny; much, much smaller than its sisters. With its wet, grey fur slicked back against its tiny frame it looked more like a drowned mouse than a kit. The white she-cat stared at it for a moment and then reached down to nip the birthing sac.

"It's a tom," she mewed, then continued hesitantly, "but…he's very small." The queen stared at the white she-cat. "You know as well as I do that any sick or deformed kits must be cast out for the good of the clan," the white she-cat said gently. She hadn't moved the tom to nurse beside his sisters yet.

"Is…is there no way that he can stay?" the ginger queen whimpered, "He's the son of the clan leader, born under the full moon." Her mew sounded desperate, but the white she-cat heard reason in her words.

"Maybe it is a sign," she muttered, "maybe the Old Clans want this kit to live." She deliberated for another moment, staring up at the small patches of the night sky she could see through the den roof, and then decided with a flick of her tail. "If this is what they wish, then live he shall." She nudged the tom over to his mother's belly, where he immediately began to nurse. The ginger queen watched with obvious relief. "Do you have names picked out for them yet?" the white she-cat asked.

"Birchstar wanted one of them to be named Summerkit," the queen spoke softly after her ordeal, each word whispering through the den like a light breeze, the white she-cat had to lean in to listen. "I think the ginger she-cat will be Summerkit and the grey she-cat will be Songkit," she took a deep breath and touched the final kit with her tail.

"And I will call him Fallingkit."


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Come on Fallingkit! Hurry up and jump!"

Fallingkit sighed and glanced up. The Speaking Rock towered above him, glittering with frost in the sunlight. Thousands of white lines stood out vividly on its dark surface, the marks of generations of Meadow Clan cats who had stood exactly where he was standing. His sister, Summerkit, stood at the top, clearly outlined against the cloudless, blue sky.

"Fallingkit!" she yowled again. Fallingkit could see the tip of her fluffy ginger tail twitching impatiently; hear the rough scrape of her claws against the stone as she flexed her claws. "Get up here, I want to play Gathering."

"It's not that high, Fallingkit," Songkit called down from where she sat next to Summerkit, fur fluffed out against the cold. Her blue eyes were bright with sympathy as she watched him. "It just looks scary if you haven't done it before," she mewed.

Fallingkit closed his eyes, trying to gather his nerve. Ever since they had been born he'd been chasing after his littermates. He couldn't swipe as hard as they could, or run as fast, or climb as high. His own, stumpy legs could never seem to keep up with their long, powerful strides. As the moons had passed the difference between them had grown alongside his littermates; their legs grew longer and their paws stronger, all while he still toiled behind them.

 _But I'm not weak,_ Fallingkit thought angrily. He unsheathed his claws and dug them into the frosty ground. _I know I'm not weak._ Growling, he lifted his front paws as high as he could, straining for the first paw-hold.

"Mouse dung," he spat. It was too far, he couldn't reach it. Fallingkit flopped back down, glaring up at the rock. There was no way he could get to that one; he needed something closer, but as far as he could tell, that was by far the closest one there.

"Fallingkit!"

"I'm coming," he yowled back. _Maybe there's an easier way on the other side._ Slowly, Fallingkit got up and began to pad around the Speaking Rock, keeping his eyes trained on the smooth surface. There were plenty of cracks and clefts in the rock, but most of them were too high up for him to reach. _I'll pull my claws out if I try to jump and catch it._

He halted at the back of the Speaking Rock, his eyes narrowed. There, at perfect height for his claws, was a crack. Excitement coursed through Fallingkit's veins as he stared at it.

 _I can do it,_ he thought happily, _I can climb the Speaking Rock._ Cautiously, he lifted one paw and slid his claws into the gap, testing it. When it held, he looked for another, then another, and another, making sure each crack could hold him before using it.

"Fallingkit," Summerkit called. Fallingkit flattened his ears and tried to concentrate on climbing. The next paw-hold was a bit tricky. It was too far for him to reach comfortably; he'd have to stretch to get it. Hissing softly, Fallingkit stretched out his right, front paw, reaching for the paw-hold.

 _Just a bit farther,_ he growled inwardly, _just a bit farther._ His claw scrapped at the side of the crack. Fallingkit could feel his other front paw slipping slightly; he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. Without stopping to think he lunged for the next paw-hold.

For a moment, Fallingkit thought he had succeeded. His claws caught the paw-hold and he hung there, marveling at his good luck, then he felt the stone begin to break away. Squawking, he plummeted towards the ground, bracing himself for the impact of his body on the frozen earth. It never came.

Fallingkit landed on something soft and furry. He opened his eyes to see grey striped fur and blue eyes glaring back at him. He'd landed on Rivershine.

"What do you think you're doing, mouse brain," Rivershine snarled, her tail lashing back and forth as she shoved Fallingkit off of her. Fallingkit whimpered and backed away, ears flat. Behind him he could hear Songkit and Summerkit scrambling down the rock.

"Are you okay, Fallingkit?" Songkit asked. Summerkit snorted.

"Of course he's okay; he landed on Rivershine," the ginger she-cat glanced over at the grey tabby warrior, who was still staring at them. Summerkit flicked her tail and turned back to her littermates. "Let's play something else," she mewed, "How about Stone Clan Invasion?" Without waiting for either of them to reply, Summerkit launched herself at Fallingkit, tumbling him across the clearing.

Fallingkit sat up, shaking dust out of his ears, and looked around. He'd come to a stop beside the bush that formed the warriors den. He could see Summerkit and Songkit play fighting viciously nearby.

"Leaf-bare has come early this year," a voice inside the warriors den said. Fallingkit ducked down quickly and began to creep away. He didn't want the warriors thinking that he was eavesdropping. He saw Summerkit pin Songkit to the ground, the grey she-cat squirmed desperately to break free.

"Prey's running low too," a different voice mewed, "we couldn't find more than a mouse or two on our last hunting patrol." Songkit had thrown Summerkit off and grabbed her tail in her jaws.

"I've never seen a leaf-bare quite like this," another warrior mewed, there was a pause where other cats muttered their agreement and then the speaker continued, "I think it's an omen." Fallingkit froze, forgetting about his littermates. This was exciting; he'd never seen an omen before.

"An omen of what, exactly?" the first voice mewed skeptically. There was another pause.

"I think it's a sign from the Old Clans that we've done something wrong," the last warrior said finally, "we've broken their commands and now we're being punished." Fallingkit leaned toward the warriors den, straining to hear more. Suddenly, he heard his name being called.

"Fallingkit! Fallingkit!" It was his mother, Ferntooth. He could see Songkit and Summerkit beside her. Fallingkit gave the warriors den one last look and then trotted across the clearing to join his littermates, who were already squeezing into the nursery.

 _What did the warriors mean by an omen,_ Fallingkit wondered as he followed Ferntooth inside. _What is Meadow Clan being punished for?_


	4. Chapter 2

**I wonder if anyone actually read the Allegiances thing and realized that there is a Harry Potter reference in it.**

 **Chapter 2**

Fallingkit woke to darkness. He blinked, disoriented; wondering what had woken him up. Around him he could feel the warmth of his sisters' and mother's bodies as they slept. The nursery's other occupant, Shadepath, shifted slightly in her sleep. Fallingkit could hear the soft brush of her fur against the grass and moss of her nest and the steady in and out rhythm of her breath. Everything was as it should be; so why was he awake?

Fallingkit yawned softly, climbed out of the nest, careful not to wake his mother or sisters, and shuffled towards the den entrance. Outside, the clearing was bathed in moonlight. Snow was falling heavy and fast, and a great deal of it already covered the ground like a thick, white pelt. Under the pale silver of the moon it looked as though the Old Clans had leapt down out of the night sky to walk among the living.

For a moment, Fallingkit was still, watching the snow fall, wrapped up in the beauty of the night. Then he started forward into the clearing, so small that he barely sunk into the snow. Snowflakes settled on the tips of his grey fur and chunks of snow caught in his belly fur as he walked, but Fallingkit barely noticed them. He didn't feel tired or cold, despite the fact that he was outside in the middle of the night in winter. He felt like he was going on an adventure.

When he had reached the center of the clearing Fallingkit stopped and looked around. All he could see was the smooth plain of snow, white and untouched under the stars and moon. Then one of the piles of snow at the edge of the clearing shifted and began to make its way toward Fallingkit. He backed away, confused, and then realized that it wasn't snow at all. It was Milknose, the clan's medicine cat. Her white fur made her nearly invisible against the snow; all Fallingkit could see of her was her pinkish-red eyes.

Milknose halted beside him, saying nothing. Fallingkit wondered how long she'd been sitting at the edge of the clearing. He glanced uneasily at the white she-cat, who, for her part, was ignoring him. Her eyes were pointed skywards, her gaze fixed on the moon. She didn't seem to be in any hurry to break the silence between them. Fallingkit suddenly felt the desire to run back to the nursery.

"The Old Clans are quite strong tonight," Milknose mewed quietly. Fallingkit stared at her, unsure of what to say. He hadn't spoken to the clan's medicine cat very often in the four moons since he had been born, and he certainly wasn't in any position to comment on the status of his warrior ancestors. Milknose's gaze hadn't left the sky.

"I-I guess so," Fallingkit muttered, staring at his paws. _What is she talking about?_

"The Old Clans burn brightly while Meadow Clan suffers," Milknose murmured, half to herself, "what does it mean?"

"The warriors think it's an omen," Fallingkit blurted out before he could stop himself. Milknose tore her eyes away from the stars and looked at Fallingkit; he couldn't tell if her eyes were glittering with annoyance at being interrupted or interest at what he had said. The medicine cat was silent for what felt like ages.

"Which warriors think this?" she finally mewed. Fallingkit shrugged.

"I don't know, I just heard them talking," Fallingkit said. His curiosity was making him confident, making his mew steady and stopping his paws from shaking. "Is it an omen?" he asked.

"It is not for me to say," Milknose mewed. Fallingkit wasn't sure, but he thought that he saw a flash of fear in her red eyes. The white she-cat rose to her paws and shook off the snow that had fallen on her pelt. "You should be getting back to your nest," she said, turning towards the medicine cat's den, "Forget about this talk of omens; it isn't important," Milknose looked back at Fallingkit over her shoulder, "the Old Clans would only send an sign like this if we had angered them in some way." She twitched her tail and disappeared into the grass tunnel leading to her den, leaving Fallingkit sitting alone in the center of the camp.


	5. Chapter 3

**I wrote this at 1 o'clock in the morning; so if there are any typos, that's why.**

 **I got one extra day of winter break because we had a flood day. Flooding got so bad that they had to close all the schools in the area; which is nice because I had a huge math test. Hooray for Christmas!**

 **Chapter 3**

It had been an entire moon since Fallingkit's conversation with Milknose; one moon of unanswered questions and whispers that followed him wherever he went like flies in summer. He could feel his clanmates' gazes on his pelt whenever he was out in the clearing; hear the soft buzz of conversation that grew softer whenever he was near. It was impossible not to notice the way the Clan watched him.

 _Or maybe it isn't impossible,_ Fallingkit thought as he sat with his sisters beside the fresh-kill pile. Both Songkit and Summerit seemed happily oblivious to the strange looks that their brother was getting, too preoccupied with finding the biggest piece of fresh-kill that they could. Ferntooth had ushered the three of them out of the nursery at sunhigh, insisting that they let Shadepath and her new kits get some much needed rest. Sparrowkit, Robinkit, and Darkkit had been born the night before and were not quite ready to join in with the games of their older denmates.

"Look at this squirrel. It's huge!" Summerkit exclaimed, dragging the animal out of the pile by its fluffy tail. Songkit mewed softly in agreement. Fallingkit was barely paying attention; he was too busy watching the entrance to the medicine cat's den. Ever since his talk with Milknose one moon ago he'd been shadowing the she-cat's footsteps, hoping to question her about the omen. So far, he hadn't gotten a chance to do so.

"Fallingkit!" Fallingkit started slightly and jerked his gaze away from the medicine cat's den. Summerkit was sitting in front of him, poking the massive squirrel with her paw. The ginger she-cat tipped her head to the side, staring at him. "What's wrong with you lately? You're acting like your head's been stuffed full of wool," she mewed, sounding more annoyed than concerned.

"Sorry," Fallingkit muttered. Summerkit rolled her eyes.

"Whatever; did you hear what I said?" she asked. When Fallingkit shrugged she let out an exasperated sigh. "I said: 'Don't you think the squirrel would taste better if we had caught it?'"

"What do you mean?" Fallingkit mewed stupidly, earning himself another impatient sigh from Summerkit.

"I mean hunting. You know, out there," she gestured vaguely with her tail, "outside the camp."

"Is that a good idea?"

"Of course," Summerkit assured him. Fallingkit was silent. He glanced over at Songkit, attempting to get a hint as to what his other sister thought of this whole thing. The grey she-cat's expression was unreadable, but since she hadn't said anything she must have been against the whole idea. Summerkit must have seen the doubt in his eyes because she added, "All kits leave the camp at least once; it's practically tradition!"

 _I sincerely doubt that,_ Fallingkit thought, but before he could open his jaws to say so he caught sight of Grasspelt and Prickletail across the clearing. Both warriors had been staring at him, but looked away when they met his eyes. Suddenly, Fallingkit wanted to be anywhere but the camp; anywhere that he could escape the distrustful eyes of his clanmates. He turned back to Summerkit.

"Sure, let's go," he mewed, ignoring the ball of rage building in his stomach. Songkit shot him an odd look, but said nothing. Summerkit looked overjoyed.

"We'll have to sneak out the dirtplace tunnel," she whispered conspiratorially, eyes darting around the camp as if she were checking for Stone Clan warriors, "that way, no one will see us." Fallingkti scanned the clearing. Grasspelt and Prickletail were no longer watching him and seemed to be engrossed in some very important looking conversation with Mouseclaw, the clan's only elder. Aside from those three the clearing was still empty. There was still no sign of Milknose.

"Come on," Fallingkit whispered, motioning for his littermates to follow. The three scooted across the clearing, trying to move lightly through the fallen snow. Fallingkit felt a thrill of satisfaction; he'd never been the leader, Summerkit had always bossed him and Songkit around. He led them through the dirtplace tunnel, being careful not to make any noise. As soon as they reached the dirtplace Summerkit shoved Fallingkit aside and took the lead. Songkit sped up as well to pad alongside him.

"Are you excited?" her eyes were bright with excitement. Fallingkit could feel her enthusiasm infecting him, his paws suddenly felt lighter, his head clearer. Around him sharp green spikes poked up through the whiteness of the snow. This was an adventure; a journey into the unknown. He may still have been Fallingkit, but today he was a warrior hunting for his meal.

"Of course," he purred. Ahead of him Summerkit stopped suddenly, forcing Fallingkit and Songkit to skid to a halt to avoid crashing into her. "What is it?" he hissed, Summerkit glared at him.

"Shut up," she snarled quietly. "Look over there."

Fallingkit followed her gaze. A rock jutted up out of the plain of snow, easy to spot in the pure white. At the base of the rock a mouse nibbled at a seed, wariness evident in its quick, nervous movement. He felt Songkit stiffen beside him.

"Wait here," Summerkit ordered. She dropped into a strange imitation of the hunter's crouch that Fallingkit had seen the apprentices practice. "I'm going to catch it." Songkit opened her mouth like she wanted to argue, but then closed it and sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws.

"Good luck, Summerkit," she mewed. Her words were pleasant enough, but the tone she used almost made it sound like an insult. Summerkit didn't seem to notice and began to stalk towards the mouse. Songkit nothing as they watched Summerkit blunder into a stalk of grass weighed down by ice, sending the mouse scurrying to safety. She only turned, looked at Fallingkit, and dropped into a perfect hunter's crouch. She sat up again as Summerkit came stomping back.

"Stupid grass," she raged, swiping at the clump that she had run into, "it scared the mouse away." Songkit and Fallingkit glanced at each other but said nothing. It would have been funny if Summerkit hadn't been so angry.

"It doesn't matter, we'll catch something later," Songkit mewed soothingly. Fallingkit admired her self-control. "Let's do something else." Her eyes brightened with the eagerness only a terrible idea could bring. "Let's visit the border."

"The Stone Clan border?" Fallingkit gasped. The Stone Clan border was the closest, but Meadow Clan wasn't on very good terms with them at the moment. Meadow Clan wasn't on very good terms with any of the clans at the moment, really.

"Where else?" Songkit shot back. Summerkit hadn't said anything yet, she was still sulking over the mouse. "What do you think, Summerkit?" Songkit pressed.

"I don't know," Summerkit's mew trailed off into silence. Fallingkit wondered when his sisters had switched places. Summerkit was usually the one leading them into dangerous situations, not Songkit. Finally, Summerkit regained her and meowed an affirmative. That left only Fallingkit. He flinched as Songkit turned her wide, blue gaze on him.

"Please, Fallingkit," she pleaded. Fallingkit sighed. It was a terrible idea, that was obvious, but there was no way that they could be in any more trouble than they already potentially were.

"Fine," he mewed. _By the Old Clans I hope I don't regret this when the sun sets._


	6. Chapter 4

**I have to upload this before the power goes out because of the insane storm that's about to happen. This chapter was a lot of fun to write; especially the end.**

 **Chapter 4**

Fallingkit had no idea what had gotten into his sister.

Songkit had always been the quiet one of their litter, and that was saying something since Fallingkit wasn't exactly the most outgoing kit in the clan. She was the voice the reason; always there to hold Summerkit back from some of her crazier ideas and to commiserate with Fallingkit when their sister went ahead with them anyway.

Now, as Fallingkit pushed his way through the ice-stiffened grass he could barely believe that this was the same quiet she-cat that he'd grown up with the past five moons. This cat moved with easy confidence as she guided her brother and sister through the meadow, even if she didn't seem to know where she was going. Every so often, Songkit would stop and taste the air, looking thoughtful, and then change course to push deeper into the grass. Whenever she did this Fallingkit had to stop himself from asking her if they were lost. Summerkit didn't have the same kind of self-control.

"Do you even know where Stone Clan is?" she mewed exasperatedly after every stop they made. Judging by her tone, she must have started recovering from her failure to catch the mouse, and Songkit seemed to get less and less confident each time the ginger she-cat questioned her.

"I don't know," the grey she-cat mumbled, "I think so." She sniffed the air again. Fallingkit padded up to stand next to her.

"What are you sniffing for?" he inquired. Songkit turned her head to look at him. Her blue eyes were wide with worry.

"I was looking for the strangest cat-scent I could find and following that," she admitted, "but I can't find it now."

"Maybe the wind changed," Fallingkit guessed. _Please, by the Old Clans, don't let us be lost._

"I don't think it's-"suddenly Songkit tensed and whirled around, plunging forward into the grass. "Over here!" she yowled over her shoulder.

"Oh thank the Old Clans," Fallingkit breathed before bounding after his sister. Truthfully, he wasn't worried about them getting lost because he didn't think they wouldn't be able to get back to camp; if they were out here long enough warriors would be sent out looking for them. He was worried about getting lost because he knew Songkit would take it badly. His sister always seemed so reserved; forever relegated to stand in Summerkit's shadow. It was nice to see her like this for once.

The ground had begun to slope downward; the grass shortening and thinning out, leaving only a thick blanket of snow as high as Fallingkit's chest. Songkit and Summerkit flew through it easily, but Fallingkit, with his short legs, was having a harder time of it.

"Hurry up Fallingkit!" Summerkit snapped, stalking back through the snow to where he was struggling along, "I want to get to the border sometime before I join our ancestors."

"We're almost there, Fallingkit. I can smell it," Songkit called from up ahead. Fallingkit gritted his teeth and kept pushing forward. His paws were beginning to sting and his nose was so cold that he wasn't sure that it was still there. Regardless, Songkit was right; they were almost at the border. Fallingkit could smell the strange cat-scent that his littermate had been following this entire time. It was almost impossible not to, the scent was everywhere, sour and unpleasant.

 _Ferntooth said the border is formed by a river,_ Fallingkit remembered. He stopped and looked around. Except for a few trees poking up out of the snow, everything in front of him was a flat sheet of white. He flicked his tail and padded forward past his littermates, slightly annoyed. _Are we in the wrong place? Where's the river?_

His unspoken question was answered when his next pawstep landed on open air. With a yelp, he tumbled forward, sending up flurries of snow around himself. He came to a sudden stop at the bottom, and sat still for a moment, winded. There was silence. Then Fallingkit heard distinct snap.

Pulling himself to his feet, Fallingkit stumbled forward, unsure what direction would take him out of danger. Somewhere in his mind, he was aware of his sisters calling out to him, but all he could hear was the crackling of ice around him. Each step he took brought about another snap, every one more ominous than the one before it. Panting with fear now, Fallingkit threw himself forward, claws scrambling for purchase on the ice.

 _Please, Old Clans,_ he begged, _don't let me die._

His next leap sent him crashing muzzle first into the bank. Dazed, he staggered backwards slightly, shaking his head. Then he righted himself and began to climb, ignoring the clumps of snow dislodged by his claws that landed on his face. He'd take a little discomfort over death any day. Finally, Fallingkit pulled himself over the top of the bank and looked back.

The first thing he noticed was that he could see his sister's on the other side, both of them looking quite frightened. The next thing he noticed was the dark patches of the frozen river that he'd cleared away while blundering about on the ice. It occurred to Fallingkit that if the river was there, and his sisters were on the other side, that meant-

 _I'm on Stone Clan land!_ Panic swamped him immediately, seizing his thoughts and ripping them away from any kind of reason. _What if an enemy patrol comes? They'll kill me! They'll rip my throat out and throw it in the river!_ Fallingkit shut his eyes and dug his claws into the snow, trying to steady himself. Panicking would get him nowhere; he needed to figure out a way to get back to his side. Crossing the river was out of the question, the ice could break, but as far as he knew there was no way to get from one side to the other without walking on the ice.

"Fallingkit!" He could hear his sisters calling to him from Meadow Clan territory. He waved his tail at them, trying to signal that he was okay. Both of them still looked fairly worried.

 _There has to be another way across; the warriors can't cross the river during greenleaf without a bridge of some kind,_ Fallingkit thought, _maybe I just need to look farther downstream._

He turned and began to pad downstream with Songkit and Summerkit following him on the other side. They had stopped yowling at him, which he took as a good sign. Ahead of him he could see the river bend sharply to the left and into a small thicket of trees. Fallingkit followed it, concentrating on the path of the river rather than the trees, which were bent double under the weight of the snow. He didn't want to make the mistake of falling in again. The river was narrower here, but still not narrow enough for Fallingkit to cross, and he still didn't trust the ice.

Thoughtfully, he began to inspect the trees. One of them could get him across the ice if it was close enough to the bank. He could perch on the end and jump off when it was a suitable distance over the river. His gaze traveled over each of the many trees until it found the one he was looking for.

The tree in question was a couple of tail lengths from the bank and its branches were already swaying gently above the frozen water. Fallingkit trotted up to it and prodded it gently with his paw. A few flakes of snow fluttered down onto the ice, but it seemed stable enough. The branch probably wouldn't break. Gingerly, Fallingkit lifted himself up onto the tree and began to walk along it until he was suspended over the river.

The ice here was mostly clear of snow thanks to the trees, which had caught a good portion of it. Fallingkit could see the darkness of the water beneath him, waiting underneath the ice. His reflection stared up at him from the depths, but something was off. Fallingkit blinked and cocked his head; the reflection did the same. He didn't know why he hadn't jumped to the other side yet, but something was making him hesitate. Fallingkit peered closer at the ice, only a tail length above the water.

It was him, but it wasn't him. It had his green eyes, his grey fur, his slight frame, but it looked older. Its eyes burned into Fallingkit's with a fire he was sure he didn't possess. Its fur was smooth, quite unlike the fluffy kitten fur Fallingkit was just beginning to lose, and he could see the faint outlines of muscles under its pelt. He stared at the other cat, transfixed, rooted to the branch by some unknowable force. Then, as Fallingkit watched, his reflection began to change.

Blood began to pour out of the cats eyes, streaming down his face and pooling on the ground in front of him. The smell of it flooded Fallingkit's mouth, choking him with its scent. He coughed and tried to back away, but vines had grown from the tree and wrapped themselves around his legs in a vice grip. Suffocating on his own fear and the taste of blood in his mouth Fallingkit looked back at his reflection. The other cat was mouthing something now; words that Fallingkit couldn't make out. The dark, red pits that had once been the cat's eyes were wide and pleading; begging Fallingkit for something, but he didn't know what.

"Fallingkit!" Songkit's terrified shriek broke the illusion. The cat was gone, as were the vines that had trapped him there. He tore his eyes from the ice to see Summerkit and Songkit scrambling down the bank towards him, fur spiked with panic. He barely had time to wonder what they were doing before the branch he was on broke with a snap and he plummeted through the ice.


	7. Chapter 5

**Well, I probably had better things to do than write this on Christmas Eve; like sitting by the fire drinking hot chocolate while listen to Bing Crosby. I enjoyed writing this though, and I hope you enjoy reading it.**

 **Chapter 5**

Freezing water flooded Fallingkit's mouth, forcing the air from his body in shining, silver bubbles. He could barely see anything through the swirling black of the river except for the weak light filtering down from the surface. That way was up, but he didn't know how to get there. His long, wet grey fur weighed him down, pulling him incessantly towards the bottom as he watched the light get farther and farther away.

For a moment, he could do nothing but sink downwards, his limbs paralyzed by shock. Then the fear kicked in. Fallingkit's paws began to flail wildly as he tried to propel himself skywards. He didn't know how to swim; of course he didn't, he'd never seen water deeper than a puddle. The river was playing with him, tossing him this way and that like a piece of prey. His own useless efforts to fight the current seemed ridiculous in the face of its frigid might.

 _I'm going to die here_. The thought cut through the haze of Fallingkit's fear with terrible clarity. _I'm going to die here without becoming an apprentice; without becoming a warrior!_ The light above him was growing dimmer as he sank further into the darkness, his limbs were growing heavier. Part of him wanted to give up; to stop fighting the river for his life and to simply let it take him, let it bear him in its icy grasp up to the lands where the Old Clans hunted. The other part told him to keep fighting, to keep trying to reach the light, but that part was getting weaker as the river pulled him further downwards. Exhausted, Fallingkit's eyes began to drift closed.

"Do you want to live, little one?" Fallingkit's eyes snapped open. The river still flowed black around him, but now there was a new light, one that came from beside him instead of above him. Fallingkit squinted at the brightness. He thought he could make out the blurry outline of a cat through the water. The light spoke again. "I could save you," it moved closer and Fallingkit didn't have the strength to pull away, "I could stop you from dying."

 _How?_ Fallingkit wanted to wail, but the water kept him silent. The light was almost touching him now. Fallingkit could feel warmth emanating from it, like the warmth of the sun on a winter day.

"I you do wish to live then you must know this," the light continued, its voice had taken on a new intensity that frightened Fallingkit, "life cannot simply be given; it must be payed for in kind." The light paused, "and only life can be given in exchange for life." Fallingkit stared at it, confused. What did it mean only life could pay for life? How? And why was it offering to save him? Fallingkit closed his eyes; he had questions, yes, but he couldn't waste time. He would find out what the light meant later. There was only one answer to its question. Fallingkit opened his eyes and stared into the light.

 _I want to live!_ he all but yowled, _I don't want it to end here._ The light seemed to understand him perfectly, even without words.

"Then live you shall," it murmured and then it was gone. Suddenly, Fallingkit felt his paws touch the bottom. Lungs aching, Fallingkit pushed off of it, shooting upward like a stick in a pond. His body felt lighter somehow. The surface brighten as he drew nearer, paddling clumsily with his paws, until finally his muzzle broke the surface.

Giddy with relief, Fallingkit sucked in a much needed lungful of air, coughing when he took in a mouthful of water along with it. Blearily, he cast about for something he could use to pull himself out of the water. Before he could find anything, he felt two pairs of fangs sink into his scruff and yank him backwards onto the ice.

"We've got you, Fallingkit," came Summerkit's muffled mew, "don't worry."

 _I'm not worried,_ Fallingkit thought, still disoriented, _it told me I wouldn't die._ He was silent as his sisters dragged him across the ice, too tired to do much else besides lie motionless on the ice.

Finally, they reached the shore and his littermates released him, letting him collapse into the snow. Fallingkit shut his eyes and tried to steady his breathing, rejoicing at the feeling of solid earth beneath him. Both Songkit and Summerkit stood over him murmuring concernedly, obviously unsure of what to do. Fallingkit took one more deep breath, steeled himself, and dragged himself to his paws.

"I'm alright," he mewed; both of his sisters look doubtful, "let's just go back to camp before anyone notices that we were gone." _Although I'd be very surprised if they don't have half the clan out looking for us already._

"Okay," Songkit mewed uncertainly, "are you sure you don't want to rest a bit?"

"I'm sure; please, can we go home?" Fallingkit pleaded. No thought was more beautiful to him at the moment than that of a nice, warm, dry nest. Summerkit and Songkit exchanged a glance, still hesitating. Fallingkit sighed and padded off into the trees, hearing the crunch of snow as his sisters bounded after him. He halted when they reached the edge of the thicket. "Which way do we go now?" he asked Songkit.

"I don't know," her voice was tight with fear, "I was just following the strangest scent I could last time, but that won't work now." She fell into disgruntled silence. Fallingkit tipped his head to the side.

"Maybe we could follow our pawprints back," he suggested. Summerkit snorted.

"Or we could just wander around for a while longer until a patrol finds us; I'm sure they know that we're gone by now," she mewed, echoing Fallingkit's thoughts from earlier. Fallingkit didn't agree with the idea of wandering around in the cold until sundown, especially after what he had been through.

"Let's follow the pawprints," Songkit finally said, "maybe it'll help us run into a patrol quicker if they've found our trail." Fallingkit and Summerkit mewed assent, Summerkit sounding rather annoyed that they weren't taking her advice and wandering blindly about in the wilderness until their inevitable deaths.

The three turned around and began to follow their pawprints back, padding alongside the river and out across fields of never-ending snow. As they walked Fallingkit felt something cold land on his nose, he glanced about. It had begun to snow lightly, adding a brand new cover for the unbroken expanse of pure white. They'd have to hurry if they wanted to get home before their trail was covered by the snow.

"The camp!" Summerkit gasped, Fallingkit looked up from the trail of footprints. Across the field of snow he could see the Speaking Rock, a towering, dark figure against the brightness of the snow. Fallingkit had never been happier to see a rock in his entire life. Pressing forward with renewed enthusiasm, Fallingkit dashed toward the entrance tunnel, hot on the paws of Songkit and Summerkit, snow flying in his wake.

 _A warm nest. Fresh kill. Ferntooth._ Fallingkit listed excitedly. He pounded through the tall, dry fronds of grass and blackberry tendrils that formed the entrance tunnel and pushed his way into the clearing, nearly bumping into Songkit as he did so.

"What's the matter?" he asked. His question was answered when he saw his father, Birchstar, step into view. The huge grey tom stalked up to his kits, fury evident in his stiff legged movements.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't make sure you never make it to apprentices," he snarled, muzzle a whisker length from Fallingkit's. He gulped; staring into his father's narrowed blue eyes. Beside him he could feel Songkit shaking and felt a sudden stab of pity for his sister; his quiet, brave sister, who would never let herself take a chance like that again. He opened his jaws to speak.

"It was all my fault."


End file.
